As the constellations and galaxies of asterisks that shone over the John Terry
trial begin to grow dim, an emerging truth shines out. And it’s not about
f***ing and it’s not about c***: it’s about the word in the middle, the only
one The Times was happy to print out unstarred.

“Black” of course. But the truth is not about blackness, not specifically.
It’s not even about racism. It’s about the nature of insult. The implication
of the unwinding events of the trial is that in a fraught sporting context,
it’s perfectly acceptable to call a person any manner of